Patrick Christopher delivered an underwhelming performance at Portsmouth. While he hit some nice perimeter jump shots, he proved himself to be somewhat one dimensional, lacking the ball-handling abilities to create inside of the arc. More disappointing, however, was how he failed to utilize his outstanding frame and solid athleticism on either end of the floor.

Though he had a solid season at California and was in the NBA Draft conversation last year, Christopher didnít show the type of improvements some were hoping to see from him over the past two seasons, fading in particular down the stretch against NBA caliber athletes in match ups against Duke and Washington. Christopher will now have to impress in workouts if he wants to endear himself to scouts in an incredibly talented draft class, but in all likelihood will have to start off his professional career in the D-League or overseas.

For the second straight season Patrick Christopher makes an appearance on these rankings, entering his senior season after a junior campaign that didnít offer much in the way of individual improvements, but proved to be a highly successful one in terms of team success. Christopher entered the season poised to build on a very solid sophomore campaign that saw Cal miss the NCAA tournament, but put him firmly on the radar of NBA decision-makers. With Ryan Anderson and DeVon Hardin out of the picture, one would have expected Christopherís natural scoring ability to be the focal point of Californiaís offense, for better or worse. Ultimately, the players around Christopher picked up the slack, and while his numbers mildly stagnated, Cal returned to the NCAA tournament, which should say quite a bit.

While Christopher deserves credit for the role he played in Calís tournament run, which ended in the first round in a loss to 10th seeded Maryland, Christopher didnít show a great deal of change in his game. An unconscious scorer who is prone to make and take some tough shots on a regular basis, Christopher appears to be a known commodity at this point. Not gifted with any truly outstanding physical tools for an NBA shooting guard, Christopherís scoring instincts manifest themselves consistently on the NCAA level.

Heavily reliant on his jump shot for his production, Christopher improved his scoring rate per-40 marginally last season, though his shooting percentages dipped slightly. Always fairly erratic with his shot selection, Christopher attempts and makes some very tough attempts from the field. With nearly a third of his total shot attempts coming from three-point range, his tendencies as a scorer lead to some questionable decisions. In 2009, Christopher was a bit more aggressive, and less consistent, off the dribble than he was as a sophomore, but compensated with improved consistency in catch and shoot situations. Many of those catch and shoot chances opportunities came on plays where Christopher was running off screens to get open, a promising addition to his game looking to the next level.

Christopherís jump shot can be both a curse and a blessing, but his inside play will be the more serious limiting factor for him on the next level. Though Christopher is capable of finishing around the rim due to his solid length and leaping ability, his 2.8 free-throw attempts per-contest leave a bit to be desired, and his ball-handling and explosiveness on the whole render him below average in isolation situations. This is one area Christopher could stand to improve, as added physical strength and the ability to get to the line more often would help him immensely.

Much of what we said about Christopherís defense in our last report remains true, and will be a point of emphasis for him moving forward as well. He has his moments, appearing focused and staying with his man pretty consistently in one-on-one situations, but not always playing with the sense of urgency or displaying the fundamentals that scouts would like to see from him off the ball. With average length and lateral quickness, Christopher needs to put in the effort to overshadow has lack of fundamentals and physical tools and improve his perimeter defense this season.

As a senior who has spent two years firmly on the draft radar, Christopher seems like a known commodity at this point. Able to put points on the board with his outside shooting, but lacking in other areas, Christopher could benefit greatly from a productive season, but may have reached his ceiling at some point. Not a lock to be drafted at this point, Christopher seems like an ideal candidate for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Whether Christopher can improve his ball-handling or defense will be key to where his draft stock stands as his season progresses.

Christopher enters his junior season looking to build off of what was a very promising sophomore campaign. With the loss of Ryan Anderson and Devon Hardin to the NBA, there will certainly be plenty of potential for the scoring two guard to bolster his numbers in 08-09 for Cal.

Physically, Christopher has average tools for an NBA shooting guard prospect. Standing 6í5, with a somewhat narrow frame, albeit decent length, he is not going to blow anyone away with his size, and will probably have to get stronger down the road to reach his full physical potential. Athletically, he is certainly above average for the collegiate level, but again doesnít really stand out as far as your prototypical NBA shooting prospect is concerned.

The Compton native can score in a variety of ways, making him a tough player to defend at the college level. He shows off a decent first step (especially going right), and uses his ball-handling skills when unable to beat defenders with his initial move. Once heís at the rim, he lacks a bit of strength and explosiveness, causing him to finish at a fairly poor clip. Christopher shows off a nice variety of crafty floaters and pull-up jumpers from midrange when cut off, getting off the ground quickly with nice touch. He must improve the consistency of his pull-up jumper, though, as he struggles at times to get his shot off against bigger and more athletic defenders and looks very off-balance on his attempts.

Shooting the ball from beyond the arc is an area of inconsistency that plagued Christopher throughout his sophomore season. He has shown potential as a shooter with his deep range and effortless release at times, but is often hampered by his poor shot-selection and inconsistent fundamentals in others. The fact that nearly one third of his field goal attempts are three pointers makes this issue quite substantial, and a little more emphasis on shooting mechanics could certainly give him more consistent results. As of right now his 33% shooting percentages from beyond the arc will not cut it considering his shortcomings in other areas.

Patrick also struggles quite a bit when putting the ball on the floor with his left hand, which he did only 22% of the time in the games logged on Synergy Sports Technology. His first step isnít quite as explosive when going towards his off hand and he often looks to go back towards his right after putting the ball on the pine initially with his left hand.

Christopher struggles on the defensive end due to his lack of fundamentals and occasional lapses in effort. There will be times where he appears to be a solid defender, perfectly containing his man in isolation situations. Then the next possession, heíll look to only have marginal lateral quickness and no defensive principles whatsoever. The junior hurts himself by coming out of his stance a bit too much, and really seems to struggle fighting through screens. Considering his average physical tools, he must find a way to put much better effort into this side of the ball, as his problems will only be augmented going up against the superior athletes that the NBA is known for on the wing.

There is plenty of potential for Christopher to put up some excellent numbers offensively at Cal in his third season. His variety of scoring moves and ability to create his own shot will allow him to get his fair share of points consistently, despite the fact that he will now be the focal point of the Cal offense. By no means is Christopher a sure fire draft pick as far as the 2009 draft is concerned, but he is a player who scouts certainly will need to look at considering his production in the Pac-10. Not standing out in any particular area of the game, and not being the type of prospect who can hang his hat on possessing any type of outstanding upside, Christopher will have to become a much more complete player in all facets and find a way to achieve greater team success if heís to separate himself from the pack and show that he can play in the NBA.

California shooting guard Patrick Christopher is having what can only be described as a breakout sophomore season, averaging over 17 points per game on 48% shooting, up from just five points per game last season. Christopher stands 6í5 with a decent frame and decent length, and is having little trouble adjusting to his larger role with the team.

Christopher is not quite a finished product, but he has a nice assortment of skills, which have to begin with his scoring. He has very good timing on his first step and good ball-handling ability with his right hand, which allows him to get to the rim frequently in the half-court. He reads the defense here extremely intelligently, and does a great job picking his spots. He usually has no problems taking his man off the dribble from isolation situations, and also does a good job catching-and-driving off cuts. Once in the lane, Christopher keeps the ball low to the ground and does a good job changing directions, using spin moves and crossovers on occasion, but usually just relying on subtle adjustments to get to the rim. Once at the rim, Christopher shows good creativity and touch, liking the use of reverses, fakes, and banking the ball off the glass on his shots. Christopher also makes us of a decent right-handed floater when he canít get all the way to the rim.

Christopher does have some issues with his dribble-drive game, though, most notably that his left hand is very weak relative to his right. He can use it on occasion, but clearly prefers going right, looking uncomfortable when forced left. He also doesnít show much finishing ability with his left, almost always going to his right, even if it means a tougher shot. At the rim, Christopher doesnít often show the explosiveness to finish over defenders, usually opting to go around defenders, even if it makes for a tougher shot attempt.

Christopher also has a developing outside shot in his arsenal, as he takes around one third of his field goal attempts from behind the three-point arc. Heís hitting just 33% of those shots, though, which is the same percentage he shot from deep last season. His jumper doesnít have terrible form, though it does has some issues, including a noticeable forward-push motion on his release. His release point is also inconsistent, with his arm occasionally flailing to the left or right, usually when rushed by a contesting defender. He isnít always consistent holding his follow through either, and his form can get sloppy when heís pulling up off the dribble. Christopher is clearly at his best from deep when he has time to spot up, and most importantly, get his feet underneath him.

Without the ball, Christopher shows good court awareness, having a solid understanding of spacing, and often getting open around the basket by recognizing seams in the defense. He isnít always consistent with his off-ball movement, though, sometimes standing around and waiting. This, along with his inconsistent outside shot, result in some inconsistent scoring games, including a three point game against North Dakota State and an eight point game against Kansas State, both of which he played over 33 minutes in. Christopher also is a solid passer, as he doesnít usually force the issue with his drives, and shows good recognition when the defense is collapsing and he has an open man.

On the defensive end, Christopher has room for improvement, showing an inconsistent defensive stance, not always pressuring his man in man-to-man situations. He also isnít consistent with his effort moving laterally, though he shows decent ability there at times. He struggles getting through screens as well, though generally does a solid job staying with his man off the ball otherwise. He hasnít shown much ability in the passing lanes either.

All in all, Christopher should have a chance at a career in the NBA down the road, but heíd definitely be best served spending at least another year in college. Heís slightly undersized for a shooting guard, and is just an average athlete by NBA standards to compensate for that. Heís going to need to continue to round out his offensive game to have a chance to make much of an impact in the pros, although he seems to be off to a nice start. Continuing to develop his left hand and improving his outside shot should be among his priorities, while adding more consistent effort on the defensive end could help as well.